In 2011, the Sister Wives Blog started out as a place to talk about the TLC reality show "Sister Wives", Kody Brown and his wives Christine, Robyn, Meri and Janelle. Today we not only discuss the show, we discuss Polygamy in our society, and the public perceptions of the Mormon Religion. We discuss "Polygamy USA" and will be covering "My 5 Wives."
This blog is geared towards the adult reader, so please, no one under the age of 18 years. Thank you!

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Becoming Sister Wives: Part Two: Sorority

After reading this section of the book, Sorority is definitely NOT the word I would use to describe these women's lives.

Armageddon...maybe. Purgatory...most definitely. But Sorority? WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE TRYING TO KID??

Like I said, this part should have been named PURGATORY, for surely these women were living, and continue to live, in a place or state of continual punishment !!

WARNING: I am about to be brutally frank and definitely mean. If this will disturb you, sorry. And if you don't want to see SPOILERS - STOP READING NOW!

Meri's Chapter

I've never liked Meri Brown. To me, her mouth seemed to say one thing, but her facial expressions said something totally different. Remember Meri's scowl?

Some tidbits:

Meri describes herself as a paradox: She's reserved but can be opinionated.

Acording to Meri, if it weren't for the fact Janelle was married to Kody, she says "I'm sure..our friendship wouldn't have gone past basic cordiality."

She claims Kody never discussed his feelings about marrying Janelle to her, so she was surprised when Kody told her Janelle wanted to join their family.

After Janelle and Kody married, Meri was relieved the newlyweds were not a "conventionally romantic couple."

Janelle was pregnant with Logan when Kody started courting Christine.

Meri felt threatened by Christine because she was "...cute and energetic...young and girly...and quite flirtatious...[Christine's] relationship was grounded in an undeniable emotional attraction."

Meri got pregnant when Christine was 4 months pregnant.

Meri felt her sister wives flaunted their fertility "...to validate their marriages to Kody in a way [she] couldn't."

When Kody got a job requiring a lot of travel, Janelle seized the opportunity to move out into a home of her own. It wasn't until they found the big house in Lehi did Janelle move back in with Kody, Meri and Christine.

According to Meri, Kody started dating Robyn during a low point in their marriage. She claims she had no idea she would be so involved in selecting Robyn as a possible 4th wife. Since Christine and Janelle did not know of Kody's attraction to Robyn, Meri saw this as her little secret between Kody, Robyn and herself.

Kody and Meri sought help from a marriage counselor to mend their marriage while he was courting Robyn.

While Meri's relationship with Christine was good, she felt it had no depth.

After Kody married Robyn, when it was Kody's night at Meri's house, Robyn and her kids would sometimes drop by and spend the evening with them. Meri claims she never had to ask Robyn to give her space.

However, Meri states "...when it's time for Kody and a wife to have their own time, I make it a habit to not call him unless it's something extremely important."

Meri feels after 22 years of marriage "...Kody and I are better than ever. We share a deep and passionate love, and finally understand each other's love language."

My conclusions? Meri has a lot of issues, and polygamy has not helped her to "smooth out the rough edges." She can be mean, bullies those she doesn't like, can hold a grudge forever and a day, and if you're her favorite, you can get away with murder. She is the Queen of passive-aggressive behavior.﻿﻿﻿

You couldn't pay me enough money to live with this woman, let alone be a sister wife with her.

Janelle's Chapter

Janelle, Janelle, Janelle. Who would've thought she was a polygamy groupie? Or that she camped out on Winn Brown's Wyoming ranch in a teepee. But the most amazing thing about Janelle was that she lived with Meri and Kody in a cramped, 3 bedroom mobile home after marrying Kody.

This lady deserves a medal.

Some tidbits:

She loves to work and have a career.

When she moved in with Kody and Meri, Janelle says her relationship with Meri went ".. from cordial to frosty overnight." And that Meri had an overbearing personality when she was younger.

According to Janelle, "Often Kody would take Meri with him when he worked out of state, which made me very resentful of her. I couldn't just take off from work, as she seemed to be able to. But when Meri didn't work, she didn't get paid - I thought it was extremely flaky to blow off work for fun like that, especially when we were so broke."

During the first years of her marriage in Wyoming, Janelle was comforted that her mother (now married to Kody's father) lived only 20 minutes away.

When Janelle visited family in Utah, they tried to forcibly bring her back into the LDS faith. She was 8 months pregnant with Logan.

When Janelle found out she was pregnant, she knew that Meri would upset, but she said she "didn't care how [Meri] felt about my news. If it upset her, so be it. Things were incredibly tough in our relationship, so her feelings were of little importance at that moment."

Janelle felt Christine acted like a little princess and was clueless.

Janelle said Meri and Christine were close friends, and often would go off and not invite her.

Janelle felt that it wasn't until 5 years into their marriage, that Kody begin to mature emotionally.

After a particularly brutal fight with Meri, and Kody's subsequent lack of empathy, Janelle packed up her children and moved in with her mother for several months until she could find her own place. She went back to school and obtained a degree in accounting. Kody still visited her and the kids. She lived in her own house for 2 years, until Kody moved to the big house in Lehi.

Janelle was surprised that after 16 years of marriage, Kody said he was interested in courting Robyn, which coincided with their agreeing to appear on TV in a reality show.

Robyn taught the sister wives how to argue effectively.

Robyn takes the lead in family discussions because she can keep a cool head.

Janelle is working on further developing her relationship with Robyn.

Christine's Chapter

To tell you the truth, at this point, I am totally confused when any certain event takes place. So your guess is as good as mine in reference to a timeline in Christine's chapter.

Some tidbits:

When Christine married Kody, she chose to ignore any potential problems in their marriage. She says "If I was naive, it was because I chose to be."

She lived with her sister wives for three months. She then got her own cottage so she and Kody could work on their marriage.

She got pregnant 3 months into her marriage.

Christine claims Kody did not know how to listen to her and would cover his face and put his head in his hands when they argued.

She considered Meri to be her best friend, but had a more practical relationship with Janelle.

For financial reasons, the wives, kids and Kody had to move back into one house (3000 sq ft) in Utah. It had a kitchen and a kitchenette.

Christine said she loved Kody way before they got married.

She enjoyed being the housewife of the family.

A year before she got pregnant with Truely, Christine had a fight with Meri accusing her of being too tough when disciplining her children. Christine felt Meri was taking her frustrations out on her children.

Christine's mother broke her heart when she divorced her father.

Christine loved being the last wife. She claims she was never jealous. But when Kody brought in Robyn, her world changed.

She suffered from extreme post-partum depression after the birth of Truely. She panicked at the thought of being neglected.

Although she feels Kody has become a stronger, more reliable man, Christine still feels a lack of stability in her relationship with him.

She feels once she strengthens her relationship with God, her confidence will return and her jealousy will disappear, and everything will fall into place.

Robyn's Chapter

What a despicable, opportunistic, manipulative, gold-digging, passive-aggressive wrench this woman is! Don't forget she married into a "well-regarded" family the first time around. She knew what she was doing, too bad she didn't pick the right polygamist to climb up the social ladder. But wait, along comes this Lexis convertible with a goofy long haired dude inside it just aching to add a hot skinny mama to his unhappy harem to do the wild thing with. No matter what this woman says, read between the lines, folks, its plain to see exactly what her agenda was.

She didn't want a huge wedding, that was all Kody's idea. She just wanted a "quiet, yet romantic wedding." She didn't want to be the center of attention and she wanted to get married as soon as possible. But alas, Kody was broke. So, even though Janelle offered to let her move in with her, Robyn had to say no. She needed to explore her relation with Kody. And obviously, she needed alone time, in her own place, to get to know her man, if you know what I mean.

So, like that saying about what happens when people wait, a big old gift fell out of the sky into her skinny lap. The pilot sold to TLC, and TLC was willing to pay for a HUGE wedding! But, shy Robyn didn't want to be the center of attention. Oh no, as she puts it "It would be a grave disservice to Kody's first three wives to feature his wedding to me in the opening episode of the show...it would shortchange [the Browns'] rich family history."

But she continued on with her wedding plans, making sure her future sister wives were involved so their feelings wouldn't be hurt by all the lavish attention she had to endure. Robyn wanted her wedding to be a celebration all right, she "...wanted to do everything within my power to avoid offending my sister wives..." Then she adds, off-handedly, "...some of whom didn't have the opportunity to have a large wedding". Oh yeah, Robyn, great way to just rub those bitches' noses in it. You are one class act.

When Kody revealed that he had helped Robyn to choose her wedding dress, she just didn't think Kody meant to cause any hurt feelings. But now her sister wives think she only pretended to want their help. Well, we all know why Robyn thinks that way -- she didn't expect Kody to OPEN HIS MOUTH AND ANNOUNCE THAT HE HELPED HER CHOOSE HER WEDDING DRESS! As she puts it "I was frustrated with Kody for blurting out the story in a way that hurt my sister wives. I hadn't meant any harm..."

Of course you didn't.

Some other tidbits:

Robyn said she would have been happy with the smallest of receptions BUT...since TLC was paying...

She worried that it would appear she was getting preferential treatment. After all, she did get a big wedding and honeymoon and the first three didn't. But the honeymoon was necessary for her to get to know Kody better. And it was all Kody's idea.

Even though she made sure Kody called each wife each day of their honeymoon, she was surprised to learn the wives were hurt by the length of her honeymoon and in some cases refused to take his calls.

She can understand why her sister wives were jealous of her relationship with Kody, for her marriage was "fresh and young."

She showed her sister wives, through example, how to argue effectively in family discussions.

She says "My sister wives already do so much for me that sometimes I feel lazy."

She also said she sees the perks of "having three wonderful women help me raise not just [Sol] but my three other children."

Next will be Part Three: Family, Part Four: Celebrity and Epilogue:Kody.

83 comments:

Don't Chrisine and Jenelle realize that Kody clearly "married" them out of duty? It's so sad. Christine can't grow up and snap out of this fantasy land she has created in her head. He didn't give two craps about what his wives thought or felt when he married any of them. It's so sleazy to me. He loves Meri clearly and Robyn seems more like his prized hood ornament. Jenelle is his ball and chain and Christine is his oldest child. These women deserved so much more and so much better than this jerk. How can any grown man be that dopey? I mean if I'm wrong than please correct me. This book is contradictory from the happy eternal family that they claimed to be. I don't think that exposing all of their issues is helping to change how people feel about polygamy. I think they are all beginning to see this as well. My two cents.

I don't think it was duty as much as power tripping on Kody's part, myself. My thought is that there is a certain type of woman who will tolerate this type of situation - one with really low self-esteem who is willing to "settle" for sharing, hurt, competition and jealousy...& of course that means Kody gets his rocks off because they are competing for his attention/affections...ugh.

Yes, agreed!! Kody clearly loves the attention he gets when these women fight over him. He could care less how they feel and they all pop off about all the Freedom they have in this lifestyle but when it comes down to it, what Kody wants Kody gets. I cannot understand how they don't see this sleaze bag for what he is..especially Janelle!!

After reading about Kody being grossed out by chubby Christine then reading the wives take on that relationship....I think Kody married poor Christine for one reason and one reason only....Her grandfather was the Head of the Church!! Christine said she told her Grandfather to say yes if Kody asked for her hand in marriage but I bet if truth be told, Christine set it up where Ole Gramps asked Kody to take one for the team. I totally think that's what happened after Christine saying she was "well connected" in the Church and how she always felt sooo "Special" til Robyn anyway.

Robyn has taught them all how to communicate effectively.....lol! That said it all to me, Janelle may be book smart but she has no common sense obviously. I tried to like these people but they are all a bunch of Fruit Loops plain and simple!

How can TLC be happy with this?!? They are trying so hard to edit and spin the plot of this show to be "look how normal we are! We are one big regular, just a bit unconventional, HAPPY family. We all gather round the dinner table and sing Kumbaya and lean on one another and help one another and love one another. Pligs are just like you, but holier and happier..." Give me a break! I feel offended now that TLC is trying to spoon feed us BS. Hear that TLC? STOP with the heavy editing and out these people for what they really are. And don't forget my previous suggestion to trot out the unhappy neighbors!!!

Their church can't be too happy with this either, I would think. They are just proving to the world that what everyone thought about Polygamy is true. The man is overbearing, domineering, and the KING of the household. He can do as he pleases. The women are there only to be incubators for his offspring to help raise him higher and higher in the eyes of their "God". Even Christine's mother, a member of the Plig Royalty, saw the light and got out. These women basically live on their own anyway. They don't really help each other or rely on each other emotionally, Kody doesn't meet any of their needs it seems, I just don't understand. RUN LADIES! (well, except for Robyn - running might require an effort on her part and would probably mess up her hair)

Bottom line, these women are no better than the woman who knows her husband is a cheater but justifies it because "he still comes home to me".

Jinx, I don't know how you managed to get through this pile of crap, but many thanks for the effort !!!

I want to say up front that these people are simple beyond dysfunctional. This is a snapshot of a seriously messed up world, where nothing is real, everything is convoluted and SEVENTEEN children are having to cope with living with this mess too.

These "parents" are not fit to mentor each other, let alone all those children.

*Meri....Good God, what a twisted woman!!!A woman who is now projecting that Kody's decision to take on Janelle so soon after her marriage to Kody was a surprise to her?? Her *soulmate* informs her of HIS decision.....and she does what?....punishes the new wife by essentially ostracizing her. Meanwhile Kody is the man of the hour, with both women longing for his attention !!! But isn't this what the Plgy life is all about anyway....the honor and glory of the man and his sperm. ??!~!

(Interjecting here.... from Meri on down to each wife....through all the wives confessions here...my question still remains...** Why would any woman willingly insert herself into a hostile climate/marriage where the existing wife or wives would actively resent and ignore you and possibly even your children? What is the payoff for that kind of life choice??? **

Meri is riddled with contradictions and resentment. Her only power is the one she has always held..she was FIRST and she is LEGAL !!Beyond that, Kody used her like a can opener to then pursue what he wanted.I so agree with you, Jinx...Meri is NOT a woman I would trust or want in my space.

*Janelle....Hard to even fathom what the deal was originally with her and Kody, other than she was not happy in her first marriage and then had the hots for her sister-in-law's husband and went for it. Frankly, Janelle had other choices, she even implemented them for awhile when she left KodyWorld...but coming back...??...who knows what her *real* agenda is or was. She is simply #2 in this messed up world.

*Christine....Okay, is seems that Christine was brought on to fulfill Kody's need for *fun,* to cater to his juvenile needs for a playmate. What is curious is Christine's statement that "she loved Kody way before they got married."Hmmm...was Kody out there trolling for new worshipers on a regular basis? With all their money problems, he still was out and about spending time, having fun with others???Christine is also a maze of contradictions. She was best buds with Meri, but not really. She had a "practical" relationship with Janelle...aka, Janelle was a main provider, and Christine was very okay with that. Christine is a victim and prisoner of her own lack of identity and maturity.

*Robyn...Short and not so sweet... and just as you stated, Jinx....*Robyn is a nothing more than a class A opportunist !!!*She saw a golden opportunity to be in the limelight, and more importantly, to be benefited in all practical ways and she grabbed it.Robyn, you doth protest too much about NOT wanting attention. Actually, you passively/ aggressively *demand it.* Her MO is so clearly cunning and deliberate. And the bit about how she has taught them how to argue effectively....that one is very clever on her part, since HER entrance to the family surely was a source of even more controversy than was already there.Little more to comment on Robyn other than the obvious...*she is a manipulator.*

What impacts more than anything is how this WHOLE SW show is just a CROCK of false presentations and scripted, tailored clips....And HAS been since the very first show. It is not REAL !!!

At the very beginning of the show's first season, she was portrayed at the all-knowing, sensible one. Her occasional pissy looks were in keeping with her "status" as the team leader. Funny how *looks* really weren't that deceiving...she is pretty much an unhappy, miserable woman.

Oh - and Kody with the Epilogue. Really can't wait for that one. I wonder if he knew what his wives were saying all along as this book was being written or if the epilogue came after he read what they all said. Either way, I'm sure it's just going to be more of his bumbling idiotic words about how happy his wives really are and even though their stories sound bad to you and me, we just don't understand, and they have all since looked inward and upward and have all been "healed" and everyone is one big happy family....

Ok, I don't get it. Step 1: do a tv show that highlights how awesome everything is (although as the seasons continue on, the facade is getting a bit thin)

Step 2: write a book that shows a horrible backstory and continued issues.

I get either step 1 or 2, but not both. And certainly not at the same time. Personally I prefer the honesty because I can't even imagine the bitchy, unkind, awful things I would resort to feeling/thinking if I felt stuck in this arrangement under the guise of religion.

Janelle moving out for a while might explain why her kids seem the most independent thinkers of the bunch. I am impressed that she got an education and seems to have a good head on her shoulders except when it comes to choosing to stay in this mess.

do polygamist men usually take the easy way out and stay out of their wives' relationships with each other/whole family? seems lazy/cowardly.

I haven't read the book more than your reviews (thanks for the cliff notes) but it does seem the only one that is coming across neutral to the others is Janelle - could be my own bias there.

When I was dealing with infertility I wasn't fond of anyone who happened to be pregnant (I was in a bad place) - I can't imagine if that woman was pregnant by my husband. yikes. Then again, what moron courts another wife when the first is pregnant. It's a very vulnerable time - one when you need your husband around. I guess it comes back to Kody does as he wishes. Still seems like he has the mind of a dumb 15 year old.

Per Meri: "Kody and Meri sought help from a marriage counselor to mend their marriage while he was courting Robyn."

I can't imagine what a marriage counselor would say about this.

I feel sorry for all the wives at various times. But imagine what it's like to be Meri and have fertility issues, and your husband is banging 2 other women who are popping them out every year or so, but you're supposed to accept that as part of God's will. What an awful life they lead.

Uh,uh,uh...I'm so confused. Why do they live a poly marriage ? Thanks so much for the review because I wouldn't spend 2 cents on their book.Honestly the more I know about them, the more I want to shake them out of their delusion. Kody contributes so little except new mouths for their MOTHER's to feed.To me, these women are no different than their calico dress wearing counterparts except their "husband" has gone modern and allowed them to work outside the home...for his income.

I am so confused. Did Janelle get her degree before or after her bankruptcy in 1997? How did she pay for it? There is no way she would have qualified for student loans with a bankruptcy. She even listed some student loans on her bankruptcy. I assumed that when she went back to school that she was 22, 23, or 24, and that it was before the bankruptcy she filed when she was 27. Also, I thought the house in Lehi, Utah was in her name first and then later Meri and Kody were added to the Warranty Deed? This book makes it sound like Kody bought the house and we know he didn't because he and Meri filed bankruptcy in 2005 and they were living in a trailer park in Wyoming then. And where did Janelle get her degree? From some online university like Meri was trying to do when the show first started? Those online universities are under fire from the U.S. Dept of Education because they accept anybody, even if you can't read or write, and even if you can't provide a high school diploma or GED. No offense to Janelle, but she doesn't strike me as an accountant. She seems very bad with money and accountants also have some general knowledge of the law. She certainly is not concerned with obeying Utah law.

Good questions about the actual details of Janelle's temporary hiatus and accomplishments while she was gone. Given the financials of her (their) history, it would have been quite a coup to get housing, tuition and care and food for her kids on her own.Unless.....Janelle had come into one of those "inheritances" Kody chose to mention ??!!!

Which leads one to ask...

** Is the book and its facts "really" all the truth ???? **

Or was a book contract sought and signed (for obvious $$$ reasons) and they each had to contribute some *unknown* facts for expected blockbuster effects.However, each was also free to add, tweak or omit a few facts for better hype or personal image.

Who edited the final version before the publisher got the proofs?..... surely they all did.None of them are surprised/shocked at its contents.

Makes you wonder.....Are the Browns *still* running their scams, even with this book??

"How can any grown man be that dopey? " Fundamentalist guys are pretty much just sperm donors, with their self-worth and standing in the community solely linked to the amount of wives they have and the number of children they can produce-they don't have to work on their relationships with their wives, just (pardon the crude expression) breed.

What I found striking was the contrast between Kody's relationships with his wives and the AUB guy with one wife (who visited them during the second season). AUB guy actually cared about his wife's feelings, was repulsed by older men courting teenagers and didn't feel it was appropriate to use church as a bar/meat market to scope out future young wives. Kody doesn't show that type of empathy and has courted wives over his wives objections. I think he even said-on camera! that he would pursue polygamy even if it wasn't part of his beliefs. I believe Meri signed on to polygamy since Kody was going to pursue other women anyway-her helping to select wives was a (pitiful) attempt to control that process.

You know I think I heard KingK say that too, about his desire to live a polygamous lifestyle even if it wasn't part of his beliefs. I'm not a tried and true watcher but seems like I briefly went "what did he just say" before I went numb watching the rest of the show.That explains a lot about things and I agree wiff ya...Meri went along because he was going to do it regardless. What a racket for the menfolk! I truly don't understand how the women are coerced into believing that they're blessed by this set up. Sharing a husband with backbiting self righteous sisterwives is a good thing? Worst of all, teaching daughters that this life is fulfilling and teaching sons that cranking out kids with multiple wives is their ticket to heaven?

I don't see any of the kids, with the exception of Mariah (who views polygamy through rose-colored glasses) following their parents into plural marriage. The kids have gotten the short end of the stick, and I don't think they're keen to extend the process.

In defense of Meri (and, no, I DON'T like her) I would most definitely try to "control" who was brought into the marriage, not that I would be in that type of situation in the first place! But if it were my true belief system I would so totally would try to control WHO came in...if I could anyway! Wouldn't you?

6 kids each with multiple bankruptcies and a harsh economic environment for qualified job seekers with experience. The outlook isn't good if they try to leave now-they may not want to, since the TLC gravy train is still going strong.

Doesn't seem like any of them would want to leave now. Their identity is wrapped up in their Tv personas. With the show and book, can some type of SW branding be far behind?Kody has transcended the Warren Jeffs stigma, he's the new hip polygamist who is trying to make the lifestyle palatable. He's a huckster and the wives are too,imo.My hope is that Kody woos a LasVegas showgirl...i.m.p.l.o.s.i.o.n

I totally agree SheilaAnn w/ ur post. I guess U could say, they are living the high life(in their minds), bcuz they advanced to a 6 figure income status,(hence from foodstamps to fame video...), they get tons of free comps,travel, etc... I just wonder if they were responsible enough to eliminate all of their past debts & bankruptcies?? I also wonder if they had to give a portion of their earnings to their AUB church? or have the Browns cut ties w/ their church, so they wouldn't be required to pay tithes? Or maybe, their AUB chuch cut ties w/ the Browns?? Honestly, IMO, I seriously, think they have put their religion on the backburner. Seems like they're enjoying dancing w/ the devil a lil more...lol

I don't think they're money smart enough (well, maybe except for Janelle) to put money toward debts, in the season 4 clip their searching for land to build massive houses. Unless court-ordered to do so, I see more useless, shiny toys and Victoria secret lingerie for Robyn and Kody, truckloads of Prozac for Christine.

On the bright side, they can no longer plead poverty-any judge could point to their TLC salaries (garnishment of wages)?

As far as the AUB, only Christine and Mykelti (?) seem to be overtly religious.

If their past histories are any indication, these losers are set to explode in about 1 year. The leases on the houses should be up in jan or feb (2 year leases)2013. These people are not known for their thriftiness, and even Janelle said that Meri and Kody were flaky when it came to finances.Unless the losers have a compelling storyline I just don't see TLC renewing this show, but I doubt if the losers have even given one thought on their future. They will be broke and back in Lehi in 2013!

RE: the leases on the LV houses. In season 2, I recall Christine mentioning that they have 18 months to...don't remember exactly but I got the impression that they had 18 month leases- maybe that's how long TLC agreed to pay the lease - they moved to LV in Jan 11 correct? Hmm.

Awesome write-up!!! Holy Bazooka's!!!!!What was Meri thinking bringing Robin into the family when her marriage was at their lowest point. Yup, that's exactly how my husband AND I like to work on our marriage. I book a counseling appointment and he trolls around for a new piece of a**. It really brings us so much closer!LOL I've said it before Meri is an unhappy headcase. Here's the thing way back when she should have just said no to Kody having more wives and dealt with it, like an adult.As for Janelle, the woman is very self sufficient, why oh why she kept Kody around having more babies with him is beyond me.Christine, loving God more won't fix your relationship with Kody. Loving Kody more won't fix that either. What you want from your man at this point you are never going to get. So either live with it or get out. You are a grown woman, you're not stupid.As for Kody. I think he behaves like a machismo fueled spoiled brat. If you want all these wives and their kids be able to support them, if you can't then you shouldn't. He comes off like a shyster who treats his wives like dirt. And why would you bring Robin into the marriage, did you not care about your kids or wives at ALL, so SELFISH (don't use duty to god as an excuse)I do have to say that the best thing to come out of those three marriages are the children. They seem like level headed, smart kids...hopefully they won't repeat their parents mistakes.Can't wait for part 3:)

Wow!!! Just Wow.....and your disclaimer said you were going to be blunt and mean about this review. How could you not? Are all those tweets and comments from their "fans" reading the same book???? Where is the love, the respect, the sense of family? How can these women come into this relationship without feeling the pains of rejection and jealousy and envy....and then internalize those feelings by blaming their own failures to be better women? This IS a sense of abuse and Kody is at the head of that. It all just makes me feel sad and oh so glad to be single!!!!

Maybe TLC will keep filming as the family implodes, and we can see how each strikes out on their own and makes a life for themselves. Unless the jealousy is what keeps them together, not wanting to let the other wife have "her share" of Kody. It is hard to see any other resolution to this now that they've exposed the hypocracy of the show's happy happy fun time portrayal.

Yes!! Spin-offs :D ... I would love to see Janelle leave again. Maybe when all of their slush funds are depleted & they fall back into another finacial slump again, it'll be a breaking point for her to get the hell out of dodge. She really deserves to be in a loving, secure(mentally & financially) & reciprocating relationship. It's clear that she doesn't have a flourishing & "active" relationship w/ Kody. I'm sorry, but no amount of hand holding & kissing will ever satisfy a women's needs or desires. It's only natural for us to crave a man's love & affection. Not only is she sexually deprived, so is her intellect. I can't see her & Kody having stimulating conversations or anything for that matter...lol I just wonder when the last time they shared a long passionate kiss?? Sorry, but a quick peck on the cheek or lips, 1/2 ass hug & pat on the back just isn't enough when its between a husband & "wife". I just wonder if Kody, often asks Janelle to give up or trade her nights, so he can tend to Robyn? I have a feeling that she(Robyn) probably texts Kody when he's w/ Janelle & whines about not feeling good, being tired, needing help w/ Sol, blah, blah,blah...getting him to feel sorry for her & manipulates him to come over ...thus infringing on the other wives nights! Ugghhhhh!!!

I don't know too much about the Browns' faith. Do these women believe that the daily burden of jealousy, pain, hurt and confusion brings them closer to God? That suffering equals a better place in heaven? I mean no disrespect, I really want to know. I can't imagine waking up every morning knowing that I have to put on a happy face and bury all that pain. Having conflict with your husband is enough of a struggle - throw in three more women who all have various dramas of their own...how these four do this and why they stay is an utter mystery to me.

I think polygamy is totally wrong, and TLC is tanking by putting on trainwreck shows like THIS, T&T, that new American Gypsy crap, etc. etc. But, where is that 'We need to all approve (and help pick) a new wife coming into the family bit??? They obviously just barely tolerate each other and seem very jealous of the time Kody spends with the others. Why did this MORON KODY pick women who could not get along??? Granted, very few women could get along in the long run living and sharing the same man, esp. a crud like Kody, but what was he thinking? Oh wait, stupid question. But still, see that they can be at least FRIENDLY TO EACH OTHER??? And this crap-Janelle and Christine were flaunty their pregnancies in front of Meri... Maybe they did a bit, but their religion tells them to blip out babies like the Duggar family. It was not their fault that Meri had fertility problems and often those with fertility problems are very sensitive to what others say and do (been there, done that.)...

Meri is a psycho! She knew all along that Kody would take other wives and she pretended - to him - to be okay with it! Then she turns around and is a bi-atch to the new wives! She went in with eyes wide open - she has no one to blame but herself!

"Since Christine and Janelle did not know of Kody's attraction to Robyn, Meri saw this as her little secret between Kody, Robyn and herself."

Talk about Karma....Meri admits Robyn was her dirty little secret against Christine and Janelle....no wonder she looked so pissed in the pic above, must have sucked to know her BFF, Robyn, kept a secret with Kody to give Christine the watch. 1st the secret with Kody about the wedding dress and then the watch...ha ha! Yep, good ole Meri better realize she has met her match and she might just lose her title of "Queen Bitch."

So I wonder if Christine was the favored wife @the time when Meri & Kody's relationship was at a low point? Meri's delusional thinking that by bringing in a 4th wife, it would help "save" her marriage when in reality it was to crush Christine's world, self-esteem, & create conflict w/ Kody. Guess they were seeking counseling from within their AUB church at thet time? I can't see any polygamist familiies seeking marital counsel outside of their own community or chuch. If they did, they might not like what the shrink has to say about the reality of their lifestyle choices. I have to wonder if the wives are able to seek group counseling & if so, would they all be willing to go all together?

OMG, I can only imagine the twisted world view that would result from "marriage counseling" within fundamental Mormon community. I mean that's the mothership of delusions about polygamy being "good" and making them all "better people". If the counseling was from inside the AUB, I'm sure they reinforced the decision to add more wives, after all that's the point of the religion!

Thx so much CJ for writing this up. Fascinating stuff! I agree w others' comments, and even though the wives' body language and facial expressions have been giving them away since the beginning, I am still dumbfounded to read this. I was expecting something similar to the Dargers' book (which I admit I haven't actually read). I find their whole situation disgusting.. This book is the nail in the coffin for me as it leaves no question that the TLC show is fictional.

I am now more sympathetic to Christine and Janelle than before. What hell these women have been living! I doubt they will leave, but I wish they would go and form an alliance w each other and leave Kody, Meri, and Robyn to live as a threesome. It really is just all so sad and disgusting. Just painful to watch knowing there is nothing we can do to help them other than write in this blog and hope that by some miracle Christine and Janelle might get ideas and find strength to figure out how to dig themselves out, or if not, to make sure this never happens to their kids.

Having read Carolyn Jessop's book "Escape" -- a GREAT BOOK about polygamy and FLDS, btw -- I see pretty much the same pattern with the Browns: Meri's harshness with Janelle and Christine's children, the husband taking the first wife on the business trips and leaving the others behind, the husband's inability to provide for everyone. I have to believe that whatever the Browns write when they're together will be the Disney World version of their lives. The true angst will only come out when they have escaped one another.

I think a tell all book from Mariah, Aspyn, Logan,or Humter would be filled w/ all the family's dirty little secrets. Technically, they're the one's that has to help care for & parent the younger siblings, help cook, clean, etc....They do way more, than their daddy, & it clearly shows how out of touch he is w/ all of his kids in the "baby sitting episode".Kody on the phone & whining to one of the wives like a little bitch, instead of embracing the opportunity to spend time w/ his kids.

I'm thinking one of Robyn's kids from her 1st marriage, would be great insights from their point of view...

DAMMMMMNNNNN!!! Their stories are just a lil mind boggling,so please excuse my long ass rant. I got all sorts of questions & thoughts, but I can't just get over the fact that after Janelle left, she got a degree(even if its not much of an accredited one, she made the attempt to better herself),got a good paying job, & got her own place! WHY OH WHY JANELLE IN THE HELL DID YOU GO BACK TO KODY & MEAN GIRL??Well, one thing for sure, is that Janelle has proven she definitely can land on her feet & provide for her family w/o Kody. So maybe when all the slush funds are all gone & they're back in the same financial slumps as before, maybe Janelle will get to a breaking point again & then scoop up her kiddos & let the rest of the Kody krew provide & fend for themselves, b/c w/o her working, they would all be screwed, & Robyn & Christine would be resorting to applying for food stamps & other assistance again!As for Mean Girl(Meri), I have no respect for her now at all. She used to be a favorite of mine, but now...sheeeeshhhh, smh! So, did Meri say, how exactly, the other wives flaunted their fertility?? Did they verbally say things out loud or just by being pregnant all the time? If she is such BFF's w/ Robyn, then how come she hasn't been able to bring herself to watch the Honeymoon episode? Whew,if she did,I betcha she would turn on Robyn in a hearbeat! Seeing Robyn on the beach in a bathing suit, for all to see & then seeing Kody pick Robyn up & spin her around, etc... would just jilt her emotionally. I definitely agree w/ CJ about Robyn being an Opportunist & being a passive-aggressive manipulator. As for her effective arguing skills, I guess crying & whining, BULL would be some of those "skills", since she so good at it?..lolHow selfish of her to intrude on Meri's nights w/ Kody too! I wouldn't call her visits friendly either, I call it TOTALLY CRASHING their alone time & being a left-stage clinger...lol I can't believe Meri didn't put a stop to it. Even though, Meri didn't say it right out, obviously it bothered her enough to put it in print & then add a dig, by saying that she never calls or interupts another wife's time w/ Kody unless it's absolutely important(Hint, hint Robyn...) I would say, that I can't believe Kody wouldn't have stepped in to say anything to Robyn either about intruding on Meri's nights...but now knowing his "maturity" level really still hasn't come full circle, & probably never will + he lacks the ability to empathize,I won't even bother.Actually, I'm surprised, Meri didn't return the favor, & just drop in for a lil "visit" on Robyn's nights??...lol I just wonder if Robyn ever visited Meri on other nights when Kody was w/ the other wives?? Or did she only have the urge to visit Meri, when Kody was there?? Ugghhhh!! She's such a selfish, sneaky & coniving lil bitch! Christine, well she's most likely in it for the long haul, so she needs to just stock up on lots of Prozac to ease her pain of living in la-la land bcuz her relationship w/ Kody will never be in a good place & things in her life won't just magically fall into place as she is expecting it. She said, that Kody, would just cover his face & put his head in his hands...hell, he might as well just covered his ears & started stomping like a lil kid throwing a tantrum for that matter..lolWake up Christine, he still doesn't listen when you argue, bc now he just turns around & walks out the room!Thanks for being a trooper, CJ, & tarrying thru their book & sharing with us by providing entertaining & insightful reviews. I'm anxious for the Chapter 3...

Guess it was Janelle's bday yesterday. Fans on their FB fan page had quite a few birthday wishes to her. Surpisingly, the only bday shoutout that was tweeted was from Sisterwives01....Also, I wonder why Kody hasn't tweeted or even retweeted in 14 days?? You would think w/ the release of their book & its one week before their season starts, the Brown's would be trying to build & exercise their PR skills via social networking. What's up w/ that? He should at least give some appreciation shoutouts to all his fans that have purchased & are endlessly praising their book.

A fan over on the FB fan page said that her country has ceased to get Sister Wives. So, she has to depend on the FB fans comments to keep up with the show. Wow! I wonder which country? & I wonder why they ceased it & what exactly does that mean?...bcuz it seems like she was typing in broken english....

My bad, Janelle also got a bday shoutout tweet from her daughter, Maddie :DI guess there was a Liv event @the Stratosphere yesterday, bcuz Kody & Liv family were "tagged" in a tweet...Well, I hope Janelle had a good day & who knows maybe in a week or so she'll get a surprise birthday party too or might even get a date night w/ Kody...I personally would prefer a party, but that's just me =)

Someone mentioned the Darger book. I haven't read it either, other than reading comments by others who have read it.

In watching SW and reading Cynical Jinx's synopsis of the Browns' book, one thing did occur....as tacky and sad as the Browns story is, the Dargers, for me, have an even greater "ick" factor.

Kody picked a hodge-podge of women for his harem. True, there are ex in-law ties between Meri and Janelle and obscure ties w/ Christine and the higher ups in the Plyg world. But Kody's choice of wives seemed to be based solely on his mood or wants at the time. They *are* separate women in personality and looks.

The Darger scene looks much more "incestuous" for want of a word. That guy marries a woman, then takes on her cousin, then brings on the first wife's identical twin sister. Talk about familial ties !!It just smacks of the ultimate guy fantasy of a "three-some"...in this case, four-some. Perhaps not in the actual physical sense, but surely there is an "ick" thing there that a man would want his harem to be all the same age and looks and literally...genes. Creepy !!!

The book by the Dargers made me want to wash my eyes and brain in bleach to remove the ick. I have no one to blame but myself for not being able to put it down.

I don't even know what to say about these women anymore. They made their beds and have to lie in them - minus their "husband." Meri and Robyn seem to be the only two that Kody actually has any attraction to. Janelle and Christine are lucky to get a dry, emotionless kiss on the cheek once in awhile. Kody seems physically repelled by Janelle, and Christine is too needy for our resident carefree surfer-dude.

I guess that's why this show fascinates me. The women are in a situation of their own choosing, yet they are miserable (except maybe Robyn). They want to explain to the world about their wonderful lifestyle choice, yet it seems they can't stand each other. And in the middle of this enormous mess is Kody, smiling his doofus smile and running his hands through his golden locks, wondering what's going in within his own family. If he had an ounce or two of empathy or compassion, maybe I could strain to see what the attraction to this man is for the wives. Instead, I will continue to watch the show with the hopes that one of the wives will finally realize that she doesn't have to live this way for the rest of her life and GET. OUT.

Thanks to everyone's input here and especially a big thanks to Cynical Jinx for taking one for the team. The synopsis and bullet points are perfect. So entertaining!

In my opinion Meri thinks she is the ring master manipulating Kody world but her pain, depression and discontent is in every episode. Here are a couple of my observations.In FLDS the first wife offers the new wife to the husband by physically handing Robyn's' hand to Kody during their secret ceremony. I feel Meri and Robyn are "soul mates" here. I mean all we ever hear about is their connection and the introduction. Meri fell for Robyn and then introduced her to Kody.

Everything Meri thinks she is being so manipulative about is so transparent. She is a bully and mean and very over bearing even when being passive aggressive, if that is even possible.

I feel Meri "accepted" chubby Janelle as second wife because she didn't feel threatened by her appearance.

The tension between her and Christine is always noticeable during couch talk when they both compete for attention. Christine's bubbly personality and simple (naive) demeanor is a refreshing difference to Meri's clinically depressed personality.

And then there is Robyn, the younger skinny breeder brought into the family. I feel having Robyn marry Kody was the sacrifice Meri made to have a friend. And lets not forget Meri's ultimate back stab, "Finally a real 'true' sister wife relationship with Robyn" How rude to say that after living with these other woman for almost 20 years. And I also don't give Robyn that much credit for being manipulative because I don't think she is that smart. I think she is just spoiled, lazy and using her skinny butt to lead Kody around like a puppy. What letter does Wyoming start with? "Y"

I think Janelle and Christine should escape with their children (worker bee and daycare-homemaker) since that has been the true family dynamic for years and the other three are just dead weight.

Thank You!! I never have seen Robyn as a beauty or even cute. As my son would say, "That Chick is Jacked Hideous!" Smaller yes, so what! Janelle may be overweight but I think she is Gorgeous and by far the prettiest Wife in that group. Christine & Meri are OK looking but Robyn is just plain UGLY!!

Just saw Meri tweet they are headed off to NYC for a round of talk shows - I'm guessing to promote the book and new season. Here's hoping someone asks them about the contradiction of the "one big happy family" show vs the "can't stand one another" book. But, they probably would only appear if certain questions were off limits. Sigh... Do they even know what the truth is anymore? So many lies and half truths - I guess in a religion where adultry is encouraged, why wouldn't lying be as well?

Amazing !!! This is a special type of arrogance to do the talk show circuit *promoting* the book, the new season and themselves, given the content of the book and how it blows apart the authenticity of the show. No doubt the book deal included mandated talk show hawking of the book, and no doubt TLC helped broker the book deal, but seriously...???

Wouldn't you think at least one of those numbskulls would be concerned about someone, even if not on camera, asking some hard questions about their credibility?? Or will they just give those insipid grins and lie their asses off?

What is it that Christine says at the end of the promo for the show? It is right after the scene where she says to Kody she doesn't think he wants to be with her anymore. She is on camera alone and is wearing something bright for her. I can't make out her words.

"I don't let people in, I let him in" that is what I make out, I have rePlayed it a few times. Not sure if she is referring to Kody, but since she has no other man in her life I guess she means Kody??? This promo is so sad with the little snip it's and the text written over the scenes.

That's really a shame then. And Christine is the only one who really believes in this stuff. She is proud of her poly heritage, and look what she's got. Not only that, look what she has to look forward to--a whole eternity of this on another planet somewhere. Same sisterwives, having babies, hey, eternity looks pretty bad to me, Christine. I wish she'd re-evaluate her beliefs. There is no family there. There is no husband/wife relationship, let alone a sisterwives relationship. Where is the love, the mutual respect, caring, marriage to each other and Kody? Not there Christine. We all make mistakes, or find life choices turned out to be different than we thought. Get out now. The worst thing to do is to keep up such a destructive life.

I have to agree with you BC. Of all the wives, Christine is the only one who can claim she is fundamentalist royalty: her great grandfather was the 1st prophet and her grandfather was the 2nd prophet of the AUB. She knows how the man should take care of his family. She had an inkling when she got married that she may have made a mistake with Kody, and I'm sure she realizes it now. But I think what's holding her back is that she thinks if she leaves, she's failed - like she probably believes her mother failed when she left. I think she will eventually understand that she will be the winner to get out and find a more worthy man to spend eternity with.

LOL, she might be carrying the baby that she would pretend to "give" to Meri but in reality she would usurp Meri's motherhood. She would no doubt become like a parasite in the baby's life as Kody & Meri's kid.She never shuts up about being a surrogate and unless Meri goes full on and has her eggs extracted & sucessfully fertilized by hunka burnin luv, Kody....Robyn will pull off a master coup. She will swear that the baby is all Meri's but for years give chapter & verse about her 'connection' with it...you know only a mother & her uterus can know these feelings. Blah,blah,blahA real live baby to hold over no.1's head...forever and ever.

Regarding the Meri/Robyn baby issue, I don't think it would be wise for Meri to agree to this for so many reasons...

1) Mariah is almost ready to graduate. She'll either be going off to college or off to Utah to become someone's plural wife. Meri's twitter shows her having quite the social life already...many trips out of town, day outings with friends, etc. She'd be a fool to mess that up.

2) Robyn will always consider that child her own. This would raise her to a whole new level of martyrdom. Look at the gift I gave you, Look at the sacrifice I made, etc. Meri would be a fool to endure that forever.

3) Kody will always consider that child Robyn's. Oh Robyn the Great, what did this family ever do without you? Meri should be so thankful of the gift you brought to us. (Insert angels singing and rays of light shining down upon her here) Meri would be a fool to endure that forever and to make the whole world have to endure that forever as well.

4) Meri will always look at that child as Robyn's. She'll be faced daily with Robyn's reminder and we all see just how sensitive Kody is about Meri's fertility issues. He'll be bringing that up every day and making her feel worse than she already does. She'd be a fool to endure that forever.

5) Meri is Kody's only legal wife. It would be a lot harder and messier for him to get rid of her. Plus, from everyone's comments about the book, he really does love Meri. He's already said how much he likes being at her house because it's orderly (read: Nice and quiet and not a million kids running around everywhere.) Her house is truely going to be the constant "honeymoon experience" Robyn was blabbering on about. Meri would be a fool to mess that up.

Then again - these people have already shown they really are fools in their decision making. Here's hoping Meri isn't as stupid as she sometimes comes off to be...

Now that would make a good show. That would really be a learning experience for the learning channel. I'll venture to say the ratings would be a booster for TLC. Ratings = money. And it would be showing something legal, now there's a change.

Come on people - don't you know TLC l.o.v.e.s. a good train wreck? The Roloffs, J&K+8, T&T etc. Do you really think people would continue watching if everything is portrayed as hunky dory? Noooooooo.....

The info from this book is fascinating in that it contradicts what their mouths say. Perhaps they all are just waiting to make their million to split up. I agree that Christine & Janelle need to GET OUT NOW! Meri, Robyn & Kody deserve each other. Their "family" is nothing more than a business venture at this point. The saving grace is that the children seem to truly love one another (except for Robyn's kids of course but they didn't grow up together).

Janelle & Christine, if you are reading this, there are people out there who will help you get out. There is no shame in leaving this situation. None!

First of all, I am appalled at the incredibly selfish behavior of Meri. She says things like "I know this seems like I am being a selfish bitch but I said fromthe start I wanted FRENCH DOORS, NOT SLIDING DOORS!" Does this woman realize the world exists beyond her Martha Stewart fantasies? And Christine is the most brain-dead whiny twit I have ever met! How do these people get through LIFE? Incredible....

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